Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Here they are, fifty-three enthusiastically rendered recipes stretching from around the globe. In fact, the hand of luck, too, has stretched far, from New York to India, where Arundathi of My Food Blog is the random winner of Aliza Green's Field Guide to Herbs and Spices. (Arundathi, please contact me with address details so that I can pop your book in the post this week. Congratulations!) And a hearty thanks to every one of you who contributed your wonderful culinary creativity and energy to make WHB the weekly hit that it continues to be. Special thanks to Kalyn for opening up the hosting duties to a rotation of bloggers dedicated to help keep the cooking and baking alive.

Please contact me with any errors or omissions, and I will correct them right away.

N.B. - There has been a change in this week's host. Please send your recipe posts to Margot of Coffee and Vanilla.Thanks again!

~~~Canned bamboo shoots can't compare to the verdant gloryof snappy-fresh spears. This lively stir fry needsnothing more than a shadow of ginger, garlic andgreen onion to set in on a plate to rave reviews.

A very adult ice-cream sodaprovokes passion with or withoutthe sensuous slip of a purple negligee.

Stain of PassionGwen - Intoxicated ZodiacNew York, USA~~~Next time you are blissfully scrubbing your backin the shower, keep in mind that you could beblissfully enjoying that loofah in your dinner plate.

Cucumber and Feta SaladKevin - Closet CookingToronto, Canada~~~Jalapeno has a heyday in this inspiring spiced Indiancondiment, the perfect dazzler for a variety of lip-smacking savories.

Hot Green Chili SauceLisa - Lisa's KitchenOntario, Canada~~~A richly red and creamy parfait dessert will have youthinking of Valentine's Day, but why limit yoursweet tooth when the year is full of romance?

California, USA~~~What could easily be mistaken for a Halloween goblin,the knarly visage of celeriac reveals a mild flesh suitedto puréed soup that tastes creamy even without dairy.

Celeriac and Broccoli SoupCheryl - Gluten Free GoodnessAlexandria, Virginia, USA~~~Adore scallion pancakes?Would love to makethem at home?It’s all in the twist, or wrist action,of the dough that produces that perfect flat of savorythat can stand up to a dipping sauce without falling apart.

It’s a fact.There really are three peas in a pod: snow peas,snap peas, and English peas, a dynamo trio for a quick Asianstir fry that is sure to please everyone’s palate.

Three Pea Stir Fry with ChickenSher - What Did You Eat?Davis, California, USA~~~A Latin herb as common as parsley in other cultures,epazote is a fabulous plant that lends a unique flavorand aroma to every recipe it touches.Let a veteran cookingteacher share her recipes with this extraordinary green.

EpazoteVictoria - Flavors of the SunSan Miguel de Allende, Mexico~~~Rich with fiber, color and flavor, butternut squash and limabeans make for a creamy late-night supper for night owlswho also enjoy the pizzazz of garlic and hot chili spice.

Washington, D.C., USA~~~While there are many ins and outs of the medicinalproperties of the powerful herb rosemary, it is thewise and cosmopolitan guest who welcomes savorybiscuits infused with its aromatic delights.

Pressing fresh, heady cilantro and crunchy walnuts intohomemade paneer ensures you will have more crackersleft than cheese with this calcium-rich, tasty snack.

Dressed-Up PaneerArundathi - My Food BlogIndia~~~Not sure you would like nuts in your hummus?Let the spectacular photos entice you to a table withplenty of crackers and bread to assuage your skepticism.

Almond HummusHallo - Cook (almost) Anything at Least OnceMelbourne, Australia~~~For anyone who has ever turned a nose upat the idea of tinned sardines, this sublimeItalian recipe of sweet and savory light flavors thatmay just turn that nose and head around.

Irish SqueakGeorgetta - Weak Weary MomThe Southwest, USA~~~Bay leaves rarely are a strong, singularplayer in the typical recipe, but you will need awhole handful of them for this oven-baked barbeque.

Pork and Bay Leaf SkewersSara - Heaven on EarthNew Jersey, USA~~~Spring in Alaska means there is still snow on theground, but cast your mind to the hot sunny climesof the Hellenic Peninsula, where sweet, juicy watermelonis split and served with tangy feta and bitter greens.

Wow! This is a tremendous round-up, and with all the pictures! The possibilites for eating well during these warm weather months are endless. Thanks for all your hard work. And, congrats to Arundathi. :)

WOW - cannot believe I won!!!! Yipppeeeee!!! I never win anything! Thanks so much for the book! And I love the round-up - there are so many interesting recipes here, that it took me an hour to get down to the comments! :) Thanks a lot!

Tigerfish – Glad you could be a part of it. Thanks!--Suganya – Thanks. Yes, I did post in the wee hours. Blogger was behaving very badly last Monday. I typed w/out a cursor and formatting for a long time.--Thank you, dear NoobCook.--Thank you, Joanna. Glad you enjoyed it.--Katie – Thanks. I’m always astonished by the new and unusual, too.--Thanks, Chris!--Srivalli – Thank you!--Hi, Sra. Thanks. I do read each post more than once. I think everyone deserves special attention. --Glad you enjoyed it, Susan. Thank you.--Ricki – Thanks. There is definitely something for everyone.--Thanks, Richa.--Arundathi – It’s true. The book is yours. : ) Thanks for your kind words.--But, of course, I would include you, Vaishali. Thank you very much.--Hi, Ramona. Thanks so much – that’s very sweet of you.--Thank you, Simona. --Hi, Kalyn. Thanks. My pleasure. At least you can slip onto the computer during a break in your day.--Lucy – Thank you, dear girl.--Thanks, Lisa.--Mansi – Thanks!--Hi, Anna. Thanks. Glad you could join in.--Thank you, Kevin.--Valli – Thanks. The enthusiasm is infectious! It keeps you going when you are running on empty.--KC – Thank you. You are very welcome.--Virginie – Ah, epazote! I have some dried, but I don’t think it can compare with fresh. It is excellent with legumes.--Rita – It’s cooks like you that make “global” possible. Thanks!--Thank you, Swati. There will be a next time….--Jeanne – Thank you. Very glad to have had you on board!--Johanna – Thanks. No worries. I missed your nutroast event, too. There will be others.--Lori Lynn – Thank you. Effort, indeed, but hosting is very rewarding.

A great round up and so many great dishes - I had hoped to enter something but just couldn't fit enough food in my week - it even took a while to be able to browse at leisure but when I did I enjoyed the vicarious dining!

Susan, lovie ~ I'm sorry to have missed this, especially since you were hosting!! It is great to see what people do with herbs, and how they can liven up a side-dish or take centre stage as a main. A wonderful selection of herby goodies, and what a wonderful gift for Aranditha (my angelheart Eric and I love this book - without it, we would not have known about allspice and juniper berries as early as we did).

Nanditha -- No apology necessary. You are welcome here whenever you arrive. I'm late getting back to you, too. Thanks always for your visits.--Thanks, Sylvia. Good luck with your kitchen. There will be more events in future. --Hi, Kelly-Jane! Thanks! As usual, with WHB, there is something for everyone.--Hi, Helen! Good to see you. Thanks for the kind words.--Thanks, Johanna. Everyone's got busy lives. No worries. Vicarious dining does have an advantage: no calories!--Shaun - Thanks, Sweets. Isn't Green's guide fabulous? I just happened upon it recently in Barnes and Noble. Now I have her "Produce" and "Beans" books, too. They make great bedside companions.

I cook and bake in that cute little galley kitchen up there. It's not as tidy as it used to be, and the walls are a deep tagine red now, but it's a cozy, homey space where you are always welcome to drop in. You can reach me at thewellseasonedcook AT yahoo DOT com. I'd be delighted to hear from you.